A senior Vox politician has warned that the Costa del Sol risks becoming ‘the new Sicily’ unless authorities take tougher action against organised crime and drug trafficking.

Speaking in Malaga this week, the party’s national spokesman for immigration, security and interior affairs, Samuel Vazquez, claimed Malaga province has become ‘the epicentre of organised crime in Europe’.

His comments came ahead of an event titled ‘Malaga, under the threat of organised crime’, attended by several Vox representatives from across the province.

‘We do not want Malaga to become the new Sicily under any circumstances,’ Vazquez told reporters.

The politician argued that major criminal organisations are increasingly using Malaga as a base for their operations, where he alleged that some of Europe’s largest criminal deals are being agreed behind closed doors.

He also pointed to drug trafficking and rising levels of conventional crime as major concerns.

Vazquez claimed sexual assaults against women in Malaga have increased by more than 250% since 2017, arguing that the overall picture presents ‘an unpromising scenario for the future’.

The Vox spokesman accused political leaders of failing to confront the problem and described what he called a ‘political complicity through omission’.

‘Not being where you need to be, not confronting this monster in the way it should be confronted, creates a constant surrender and allows criminals to feel increasingly immune,’ he said.

He further argued that police officers and security forces are being left with insufficient resources to tackle increasingly sophisticated criminal organisations.

According to Vazquez, legal uncertainty, shortages of personnel and a lack of equipment are hampering law enforcement efforts.

‘We cannot face this threat with a low-profile response,’ he said.

‘The criminal reality has escalated, so the tools we use to defend ourselves must also evolve.’

Vox used the event to outline its plans for a tougher security policy, including proposals aimed at expanding police powers and increasing the state’s response to organised crime.

In one of his strongest remarks, Vazquez suggested traditional policing approaches should be reconsidered.

‘The principle of using the minimum force necessary, which generations of police officers have been taught, must reach its endpoint,’ he said.

‘We will replace minimum necessary force with all the force that is necessary.’

Also participating in the event were Antonio Alcazar, spokesman for Vox Malaga, Antonio Luna from the provincial council, Malaga city councillor Yolanda Gomez and Mijas security councillor Juan Carlos Cuevas.

Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.